Yesterday hundreds of Moroccans forcibly prevented the holding of a conference of solidarity with the Saharaui people in Dakar during the World Social Forum.

About 500 Moroccans caused severe and violent clashes to prevent the event organized by the Coordination of Associations of Solidarity with Western Sahara (CEAS, Spain) entitled "Western Sahara: Africa's last colony" from taking place.

The GUE/NGL delegation in Dakar met yesterday evening to discuss what had happened and to condemn the violent provocative incident organized by the Moroccan administration for their permanent purpose of silencing the right of the Saharaui people to self-determination.

The Moroccan Ministry of the Interior orchestrated this violent provocative act shortly before the conference in an attempt to prevent the display of solidarity with the Saharawi people at the World Social Forum. Hundreds of Moroccans stormed with flags into the room, shouting insults and then headed towards the podium to snatch the flag of the Saharaui Arab Democratic Republic. Pierre Galand, Belgian Senator and former president of EUCOCO (European Coordination of Support for the Saharaui people) and Willy Meyer, MEP from the European United Left (Spain) and Vice-President of the Intergroup Solidarity with the Saharaui people at the European Parliament, who were present at the time, tried to avoid it but were beaten and shoved by the crowd and many Saharaui women were attacked.

Meyer said "this fascist attitude is inconsistent with the Charter of Principles of the WSF. This is not the first time that Morocco organizes a violent action during these fora. Last December, during the World Festival for Youth and Students, a young Moroccan youth attacked some young United Left and Saharaui activists who had unfurled a banner against the illegal occupation of Western Sahara, which led to their expulsion from the festival.

Because of these acts, the European United Left/Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) delegation will ask the organizers of the World Social Forum 2011 for a formal condemnation of this violent behaviour by part of the Moroccan delegation.

The conference "Western Sahara: Africa's last colony" will finally be held tomorrow morning Wednesday, February 9 at 12:00 in the same room (small FSJP Amphitheatre A1).

GUE/NGL CONTACT IN DAKAR:

Mauricio Miguel  +221 77 393 66 67

GUE/NGL PRESS CONTACTS  BRUSSELS :
Gay Kavanagh +32 473 84 23 20
Gianfranco Battistini + 32 475 64 66 28
David Lundy + 32 485 50 58 12
Inga Keilmann (DE) +32 493 60 10 23
www.guengl.eu
Gauche Unitaire Européenne/Nordic Green Left
European Parliamentary Group